Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven C. McCraw announced the appointment of Duane Steen as the new Regional Commander for DPS Region 2, which includes the Houston, Beaumont, and Bryan/College Station areas.  Steen is the first African-American Regional Commander at DPS.  He most recently served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigations Division at DPS Headquarters in Austin beginning in 2010.

“I am excited to return to east Texas as Regional Commander, and look forward to working with the DPS team and serving the population in the area,” Steen said.

After being named to the All-American 4 X 100 meter sprint relay team while at Texas A&M University, Steen joined DPS in 1981.  He served as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper in Denton, then promoted to a Narcotics Sergeant/Investigator in Austin in 1984; Internal Affairs in 1992; Narcotics Lieutenant in Waco in 1992; Narcotics Captain in Garland in 1995; Narcotics Assistant Commander in San Antonio and Austin beginning in 2003; and Narcotics Major in 2009.